Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-07-20

Hon. Il. III. I. Hunter.
Hardly has the echo of Virginia s
threnody over the grave of Ex-Governor
WILLIAM SMITH died away when she is
called upon TO mourn another illustrious
son. Another great man has fallen in
the Commonwealth. Hon. ROBERT
MERCER TALIAFERBO HUNTER, patriot
and statesman, than whom no other
man Of his day held the pub
lie gaze to greater degree, died
at his home, in Essex county,
Monday. Hon. r. NJ. I. HUNTERS
last look was upon the scenes that had
been familiar to him from his earliest
recollection. He was born in Essex
county April q, 1909. He graduated
at the University of Virginia, studio |
law, and was admitted to the bar in
1880. He soon, however, became
prominent in politics, and as early as
1884 was elected to the lower house of
the Virginia Legislature. In 1887 he
stood for and was returned to the
United States House of Representa-
tivos, and from that time until the
breaking out of the late civil war was
what may be termed national figure.
in 1889 he was chosen Speaker of the
House He was defeated in 1913 by
the Hon. WMLOUGHBY NEWTON, but in
1915 was again returned, and in 1916 was
chosen senator in Congress from Vir
einia, taking his seat in December, 1917.
He was Immediately placed upon the
Committee on Finance, became the
chairman of the committee in 1850,
and served in that position until he
left the Senate at the commencement
Of hostilities between the States. He
was three times honored by Virginia
by election to the Senate, and all
through his career in that body and in
the lower house reflected honor upon
ler. TO attempt history OF his
career in the National Lcgisla-
ture would be TO attempt his
tory in great part of the most i'm
portant questions that came before the
country during the period from 1897 to
1861. Mr.. HUNTER came to the front
and began making an impression i'm
mediately upon entering Congress. He
was q man of broad culture, of philo-
sophie caste Of mind, and of strong
common sense. His name is associated
with many of the mostimportlnt debates
that ever took place in either House.
He was ever n sentinel at the doors OF the
ark of the Constitution. He spoke as
one conscious of mastery of every sub
iect he touched, and never failed to
command respectful attention. He was
conservative, but firm, and these traits
told in many season of heated discus
sion that preceded the climax OF 1861.
In 1860 Mr.. HUNTER was promi-
nent candidate for the Democratic
nomination to the presidency, and at
the convention at Charleston received
on several ballots the next highest vote
TO that for Mr.. DOUGLASS. His popu-
larty and prominence were such that
his friends claimed that had he received
the nomination he could have united
the Democracy and that the war
would have at least been deferred.
When Virginia seeded Mr.. Hun
TER cast his lot with his native
State, and served the Confederacy
as faithfully and conscientiously as he
had the United States. At one time
his name was associated with the Office
of President of the Confederacy. He
succeeded ToodBs as Confederate
Secretary of State, was in turn sue
ceeded 10y JUDAH p. BENJAMIN, and
was subsequently elected to the Con-
fedCrate States Senate from Virginia.
He was member of the COM
missiom-his associates being Messrs.
STEPHENS and CA,PBELL-which met
President LINCOLN and Mr.. SEW
ARD on vessel in Hampton Roads in
February. 1865, and upon his return
from that futile conference presided at
meeting in this city, at which resolu-
tons were passed declaring in effect
that the Confederacy would never
disarm until independence had been
achieved. When the proposition was
brought before the Confederate Con-
gress to enlist negroes as soldiers, those
thus enlisted tobe given their freedom
Mr.. HUNTER atfrst voted against it. He
subsequently, however, voted for II on
the ground that the Virginia Legisla-
ture had instructed him 80 TO do, but
accompanied his affirmative vote with
vigorous protest against the measure.
He said /; "When we left the old Gov
eminent We thought We had got rid
forever Of the slavery agitation.
We insisted that Congress had
no right to interfere with slavery.
We conteaded that whenever the two
races were thrown together one must
be master and the other slave. We in
sisted that slavery was the best and the
bappiest condition of the negro. Now,
il We offer slaves their freedom as
boon we confess that we were insin-
cere and hypocritical. II the me-